Revitalizing a Failed Polycarbonate Disaster – Franklin Township Library, Somerset, New Jersey

Kalwall’s translucent panels were originally specified for the Franklin Township Library, but to save on costs, a polycarbonate product was installed instead. Years later, this product ultimately failed in terms of both utility costs, occupant comfort and overall performance. Issues becoming unmanageable caused building managers to realize the need to retrofit the failing polycarbonate with the originally specified Kalwall translucent Skyroof®.

Kalwall’s Sr. Architectural Consultant, Steve Del Guercio, who worked on the initial performance specification and design in 2005, closely followed this project through the years.  After a complete failure of the substitute polycarbonate product, Del Guercio oversaw the library’s transformation to Kalwall in 2024 and tells the story of a beautiful daylit library and the failures of polycarbonate versus the superiority of Kalwall’s translucent daylighting—a real testament on why choosing the best product specification is so important.